Best of Vienna

Traditional Vienna is but one of the many façades of this city; the historic center, a UNESCO world heritage site, is sometimes begrudgingly compared to an open-air museum. It is the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, Brahms, Mahler and Schönberg.

Vienna is also one of Europe’s most dynamic urban spaces. Just a stone’s throw from Hofburg, theMuseumsQuartier houses some of the world’s most provocative contemporary art behind a striking basalt façade. It is also famous for its (electronic) music scene with independent labels, cult-status underground record stores, a vibrant Monday through Sunday club scene, multitudes of street performers, and a government that seems overly obsessed with complicated paperwork. However, people are willing to go out of their way or bend the rules a little if they feel they can do someone a favor. 

The Viennese have a singular fascination with death, hence the popularity of the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery), as a strolling location and of Schrammelmusik - highly sentimental music with lyrics pertaining to death. Vienna even has the "Bestattungsmuseum", a museum devoted to coffins and mortuary science.   

Vienna is also famous for its coffee culture. "Let's have a coffee" is a very commonly heard phrase, because despite incursions by Starbucks and Italian-style espresso bars, the Kaffeehauskultur is still the traditional way to drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, meet friends, or fall in love.  

For more information on Vienna go to: http://www.wien.info/en